NATO General Calls to Resume Military Operation in Afghanistan

Reuters: German NATO General Hans-Lothar Domröse said that NATO should again launch a military operation in Afghanistan and conduct airstrikes against radical Taliban Islamists in the country.

Currently, NATO units can only advise the Afghans on issues regarding reconstruction and training for Afghan forces.

But Domröse insists that NATO should also provide military support for its ‘Afghan brothers’.

The call comes as US President Barack Obama announced in October that Washington will keep 9,800 troops in Afghanistan throughout most of 2016, further maintaining 5,500 troops in after 2016, instead of fully withdrawing all of its forces from the country by the next year, as originally planned.

Given the difficult security situation in Afghanistan, Domröse advocated for the expansion of the NATO mission in the country and the start of airstrikes against the radical Taliban.

“This is also a moral question,” he explained, adding that the possibility of a “robust counseling” should be considered. “The situation is sobering. It is not as stable as we had hoped for,” Domröse added.

There are still more than 13,000 soldiers present in the Hindu Kush. Among them there are about 850 German soldiers.

Nevertheless, even after a 13-year presence of NATO in the region, the situation in Afghanistan remains dismal. The country has been destroyed for years to come, with numerous refugees leaving their homes and heading to Europe.

Whether a new military campaign would help to improve the situation in Afghanistan is, however, highly questionable, DWN wrote. Domröse did not explain how exactly a new military operation would stabilize the poor security situation in the country.